Toasting machine



B. WEIL ToAsTING MACHINE Aug. 22, 1939.

Filed lay 10, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 AMK Kun.

Aug. 22, 1939. B. wElL TOASTING MACHINE Filed Ilay l0, 1938v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. WEIL Aug.' 22, 1939.

TOASTING MACHINE Filed lay 10. 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 2,11n,17o

Aug'. 2v2, 1939. B. wElL TOAS'I'INGA MACHINE Filed lay 10, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Y NW Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,170,170v 'roAs'rING MACHINE Bert Weil, New

York, N. Y., assignor to Melba Machinery Royalty Corporation, New York,

Application May 10, 1938, Serial No. 207,119

7 Claims.

The present invention' relates to the manufacture of toasted wafers and more particularly to a machine for toasting bread to form wafers of the type disclosed in U. S. Patents. Nos'.

1,956,130 and 1,965,082.

One of the primary objects of the invention is the construction of a machine for toasting slices of bread in a continuous manner in large quantities.

Still another aim is to improve the type ofA machine disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,051,303 by providing positive means: for opening and closing the cooperating toasting plates to eliminate the objectionable features attendant upon the vfree swinging movement of one of the two cooperating plates*` periodically in its travel.

Yet another purpose of the invention is to improve the construction of the cooperating toasting plates to'form a continuously moving toasting machine of rigid design and well adapted for long and efficient operation.

Still a further object is the formation of an improved drive associated with the interconnected series of the cooperating toasting plates of the machine. f

Other aims and objects will be apparent from the detailed descriptio-n hereinafter appearing when taken in conjunction with the appended drawings' forming a part hereof and showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, to which reference is now made and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine in a preferred embodiment thereof, the machine being centrally broken away and the side enclosure bein-g omitted adjacent the opposite ends.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational View of the feed and discharge end of the machine, with the enclosing side plates removed.

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the feed and discharge end of the machine on the same scale as Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detailed top plan view of a pair of cooperating toasting plates and portions of adjacent pairs of toasting plates, the view particularly disclosing the pivotal connections between the plates as well as the track and sprocket engaging means carried thereby.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on a plane substantially as represented by the line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a left end elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 5 with one of the toasting plates of a cooperating pair shown in raised position by dot-and-dash lines.

' Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a novel tripping means for positively deecting the track engaging means, carried by the outer or movable toast- 5 ing plates, from one section of track to another.

Referring now in detail to the drawings by reference characters, and wherein like characters designate like parts in all of the views, F designates a supporting frame which may be of l0 any desired construction insofar as the present invention is concerned. The frame F in a suitable embodiment thereof comprisesa pair of laterallyV spaced and horizontally disposed base channels I0 to the lower ends of which are s'e- 15 cured a plurality of vertically disposed channels I I, the latter being connected at their upper ends with horizontal channels I2, the opposite ends of the frame including transverse bracing members I3.

The frame F may be of any desired dimensions but is in practice of substantial length for reasons hereinafter to appear and the frame is'` enclosed by suitable sheet iron or other material I4 as indicated in Fig. 1.

Supported by the base channels I0 or in any other convenient manner are standards I5, there being a pair of such transversely aligned standards at each end of the frame F as clearly indicated in Fig. 1.

The standards I5 at their upper ends support transversely aligned shaft bearings IG in which are journalled the opposite ends: of front and rear shafts I'I and I8 respectively. Suitably secured to shaft Il within and adjacent the bearings I6 are a pair of transversely spaced sprocket wheels I9 and secured in like manner to shaft I8 are a pair of sprocket wheels 20. The frame F further supports a pair of laterally spaced upper tracksI 2l and a. pair of laterally spaced lower tracks 22 for supporting the base or pivotally interconnected toasting plates hereinafter specically referred to. Furthermore, the frame supports lower pairs of laterally spaced and upper pairs of laterally spaced tracks 24 and 25 for maintaining a proper relation between the plates of the cooperating pairs in a manner later described. The tracks 23 and 25 are rendered continuous at the rear ends thereof by means` of arcuate tracks 26 as indicated in Fig. 1.

The toasting plates are in the form. of an endless conveyor, having means for operatively engaging the sprocket wheels I9 and 20 and is given a continuous and uniform movement by means of a motor M having a gear drive connection With 55 wardly of the rollers 38 as indicated at 39 for the shaft I8 as indicated at 21 and 2B in Fig. 1. The novel toasting plate assembly comprises an endless series of main or base plates 3B (shown in detail in Figs. 5, 6 and 7), which are pivotally interconnected at adjacent spaced edges thereof by means of pintle shafts 3| which extend through eyes 32 of the adjacent lapped ends of bars 33 suitably secured to opposite side edges of the plates 30.

The toasting plate assembly further comprises secondary or swingable plates 34 which are pivotally connected with the pintle shafts 3l by means of eyes 35 on bars 36 secured to opposite sides of the plates. Collars 3l are attached to shafts 3! outwardly of bars 36 in order to maintain the articulated series of cooperating toasting plates in longitudinally aligned relation.

The pintle shafts 3l adjacent opposite ends thereof support grooved rollers 38 as indicated in Fig. 5, the rollers engaging the upper and lower tracks 2l and 22 intermediate the front and rear sprocket wheels I9 and 2G for maintaining the upper and lower run's of the toasting plate assembly in horizontal relation. Further, the shafts SI are reduced at their opposite ends outengagement between adjacent teeth of the sprocket wheels i9 and 20, see Fig. 8, and disks 40 are secured to the extreme ends of the shafts V.ior maintaining alignment between the reduced portions 35 and the sprocket wheel teeth.

The swingable plates 34 each have a rod 4I connected thereto adjacent the free edge thereof, which rod is preferably rectangular in cross -section to more eiiectually prevent rotation thereoi. The rod at its opposite ends rotatably supports grooved rollers 42 for operative engagement with the tracks 23, 24, 25 and 26.

The cooperating tracks 2| and 25 and 22 and `-23 are spaced vertically so as to permit the cooperating main and secondary toasting plates 30 and 34 respectively to be spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the desired thickness of the toast and, in order to limit the approach of `the plates to such spaced distance, the plates 34 `"are provided with adjustable studs 43 as will be apparent from an inspection of Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.

From the foregoing, and upon further refer- `ence to Figs. 1 and 3, it will be seen that thel articulated endless series of toasting plates engage the sprocket wheels I9 and 20 through the reduced portions 39 on the pintle shafts 3I at which points the adjacent rollers 38 oat be- ,tween the sprocket wheels and that the upper and vlower runs between the front and rear sprocket wheels I9 and 20 are maintained horizontal by engagement of the grooved rollers 38 with the upper and lower tracks 2l and 22 respectively.

While the main or base toasting plates 30 travel only in the sprocket wheel and track circuit above referred to, it is essential that the secondary or swingable toasting plates be given a movement relative to the base plates at regular intervals in order to load the cooperating plates with slices of bread to be toasted and to permit discharge of the toasted wafers.

For this purpose, the tracks 24 are formed, as indicated in Fig. 3, to permit raising or swinging the plates 34 to a position approaching the vertical to facilitate feeding of the bread slices at a suitable opening at the front and adjacent the top of the machine. The tracks 24, sufiiciently rearwardly of the machine to permit proper loading, incline downwardly as indicated at 45. The tracks 25 are also upwardly inclined as at 4B for cooperation with the inclined portions 45 for guiding the rollers 42 into engagement with the tracks 25 for proper toasting cooperation with the main or base plates 30.

The cooperating pairs of plates 30 and 34 continue in toasting position along the upper horizontal run, around the sprocket wheels 2U, and along the lower horizontal run to a point substantially vertically below the shaft Il at which point the tracks 23a are secured to tracks 23 and are arched downwardly as indicated in Fig. 3 to allow the plates 34 to swing downwardly away from the base plates 30 to permit the finished toast or wafers to be automatically discharged into a hopper 41 provided with a suitable movable conveyor belt 43 (Fig. 4).

It will be seen that the plates 30 and 34 are in toasting relation substantially the full length of the machine which is of a length suflicient for proper compressing, drying and toasting of the bread slices to provide toasted wafers of maximum quality and appearance, the speed of movement being regulated to accomplish this purpose. The heat is supplied by upper and lower horizontal gas pipes 49 and 50 provided with spaced nozzles adjacent the toasting plates.

It is to bev particularly noted that tracks 23a have no positive swinging influence upon the plates 34 but only permit same to fall away from the plates 30 to discharge the toast, while tracks 24 positively raise the plates 34 away from the plates 30 and it is accordingly necessary to provide a means for displacing the rollers 42 from engagement with tracks 23a to engagement with tracks 24. Y

Such means in a preferred embodiment thereof comprises a tripping or deflecting mechanism which essentially includes a lever 5I pivotally connected at 52 to a suitable bracket 53 and having a tail 54 engaged by one end of a coil spring 55 for normally urging the lever into engagement with a stop 56 in which position the nose 51 of thelever lies in the arcuate path vof the rollers 38. The latter uponengagementwith the nose 51 thereof raises the lever 5I whereby a lateral pin 58 carried by said lever engages the adjacent roller 42 thus moving the corresponding plate 34 outwardly a distance sufcient for the opposed rollers 42 to engage the flared ends 60 of the tracks 24 which ends are anchored in position by brace bars 6I. Continued movemlent of the cooperating toasting 38 to ride by the nose 5l of the lever 5I, the latter being then returned by ythe action of spring 55 from the position shown in Fig. 3 lofthe drawings -to the position shown in Fig. l' for repeating the above described operation.. i

From the foregoing it will now be apparent that there has been provided a novel toasted wafer forming machine well adapted for its intended purposes. Obviously, various changes in the speciiic details of construction will be apparent tothose skilled in the art and it is contemplated to cover all such and to be limited in this respect claims hereto appended.

plates causes the rollers What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: n

1. A bread toasting machine comprising spaced pairs Iof sprocket Wheels, upper and lower tracks intermediate the pairs of sprocket wheels, awseries of pivotally connected toasting plates in the form `of an endless conveyor, rollers carried by the conveyorat the pivotal connections of the plates for engaging the tracks, lateral extensions' from the rollers for operating engagement with the sprocket wheels, means for driving the sprocket wheels, and a Isecond series of plates cooperating with the rst'series and pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereto.

2. A bread toasting machine comprising spaced pairs of sprocket wheels, upper and lower tracks intermediate the sprocket Wheels, a series of pivotally connected toas-ting plates in the form of an endless conveyor, means supported at the pivotal connections of the plates for touching engagement with the tracks, other means supported Y at the pivotal connections of the plates for driving engagement with the sprocket wheels, a second series of plates cooperating with the first series and pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereto, upper and lower tracks for holding the second plates in toasting relation to the first plates between the pairs of sprocket wheels, lower tracks at the front end of the machine for constant engagement with the second plates and permitting movement thereof from the iirst plates to discharge the toast, and upper tracks for positively moving the second plates away from the first plates to permit feeding untoasted bread between the cooperating toasting plates.

3. The structure dened in claim 2 wherein the second plates are provided with rollers for engagement with the tracks, and means for automatically moving the rollers successively from engagement with the lower tracks at the front end of the machine to operative engagement with the upper tracks.

4. A bread toasting machine comprising two spaced pairs of sprocket wheels, one pair of which is positively driven, a series of pivotally connected toasting plates in the form of an endless conveyor and provided with means for operative driving engagement with the sprocket wheels, a second series of plates for cooperating with the rst plates and pivotally connected at corresponding ends thereto, rollers carried by the second plates, upper and lower tracks between the pairs of sprocket wheels engaged by the rollers for holding the second plates in toasting relation to the rst plates, lower tracks adjacent one pair of sprocket wheels in continuation. with the iirst named lower tracks for permitting swinging movement of the second plates away fromI the rst plates to discharge the toast, upper tracks adjacent the same pair of sprocket wheels and in continuation with the rst named upper tracks for positively swinging the second plates away from the rst plates to permit feeding untoasted bread between the cooperating plates, and automatic means between the last named lower and' upper tracks for moving the rollers successively from engagement with one to operative engagem-ent with the other.

5. The structure defined inl claim 4 wherein the automatic means comprises la pivotally mpunted lever yieldably biased to inoperative position, means on the lever successively engage- -able and movable by the continuously moving conveyor, and meanson the lever for successive engagement with the rollers carried by the second plates to move same into position to engage said upper tracks.

6. In va bread toasting machine, a series of plates, means intermediate a pair of adjacent plates pivotally connecting same into a continuous conveyor, a second series of plates cooperating with said first series, each of said secondl series of plates pivoted to said means pivotally connecting said first series of plates into a continuous conveyor.

7. In a bread toasting machine having driving wheels at opposed ends thereof, a series of plates, a plurality of spaced shafts, a pair of adjacent plates of said series pivoted to one of saidshafts formzing a continuous conveyor, a second series of plates cooperating with said rst series of plates, each of said second series of plates pivoted at one side edge thereof to one of said shafts, the latter having means engaging said driving wheels for moving said conveyor.

BERT WEIL. 

